She Graduated!

I've disappeared from Blogland while I've purchased frames, pressed gown, entertained family, planned college schedules, enrolled Oldest Daughter, attended parties, and snapped pictures. 

I've missed the comforting peek into your lives and sharing the daily-ness of mine. 

See you soon!

Why We Blog (and Winner!)

It was so fun to read everyone's responses to what draws you to blogging.

Not surprisingly, lots of us find that friendships, relationships, connections with other bloggers, and conversation are big reasons to read and write in Blogland.

(flikr)

Like Lisa said, "I first started reading blogs because I didn't have anyone IRL that shared my not-so-mainstream interests."
 We also love creating and then sharing our creations:

color my world

We enter Blogland for eye candy ::sigh:: :

color my world

or Inspiration:

color my world

Gerry uses blogging to track progress on her projects and to keep family up to date on what she's up to:

color my world

It was so much fun to read your responses.  And find out we're pretty much all the same . . . women reaching out to women across Blogland.

So . . . I popped your names into my beautiful swirly bowl:

And the giveaway winner is:

Congratulations, Tracey!  Send me your address (my e-mail address is in the side bar) and your package is ready to come to you!

Thanks everyone for another wonderful, fun year of blogging!

color my world

Amazement

(Photos by the very talented Naisang Photography)

I knew to expect how fast it comes . . .

graduation

independence

beginnings of adulthood.

I just didn't know to expect

the feelings of

joy

and

amazement

That somehow I have brought

a soul from birth to adulthood.

I remember bad dreams

in which I'd forgotten I had a baby

left it at home

neglected to feed it.

I'm just that absent-minded.

I didn't doubt it could happen.

But somehow it didn't.

I've remembered to

clothe

feed

and nurture

this child.

And now she is grown

and healthy

and whole.

And I find that

nothing short of

a miracle of grace.

(don't forget the enjoyable blogs giveaway - enter through Friday)

Compassion

tiny white daisies



At moments like these [pain, struggle, suffering],
 

Jesus never delivered sermons about judgment
 

or the need to accept God's mysterious providence.
 

Instead he responded with compassion---

a word from Latin which simply means "to suffer with"---

and comfort and healing.
  

God stands on the side of those who suffer.

                                   -- Phillip Yancey

Idealistic Dreams

 (don't forget the enjoyable blogs giveaway - enter through Friday)

We all have dreams for our children's lives.

My dream has my children living on 10 acres, out in the country . . . tossing scratch to the chickens . . . weeding our large garden . . . saddling up their horses and running through meadows of wildflowers.

Never mind that chickens scare me or that I can't even remember to water my 2 tomato plants or that the kids don't keep the two dogs brushed, fed, and watered, let alone a barn-full of horses.

 
Never mind reality.

Let me live in my idealistic world.


Where Youngest Son spends his afternoons vigorously currying the horses.

(I said vigorously, Dear!)


And where Middle Son is passionately involved with the hoof-cleaning and shoeing of horses.

 

(Passionately, Love!)

Yes, these are the dreams I have for my children.

 

And if you can't have it in reality,

An afternoon at the Horse Ranch will also do quite nicely.

Reasons to Celebrate - Enjoyable Blogs Giveaway

Back in February I was click-click-clicking away at the computer when Youngest Son popped his head around the corner and crowed:

"Guess what today is!!!???"

My heart sank.  Did we miss a doctor's appointment . . . a friend's birthday party . . . a report due date.  I braced myself.

"It's your two-year blogging anniversary!!!"

Oh my . . . so it was!!  But it has taken me 3 months to finally getting around to having the celebration.

And that is because winter basketball season was ending, spring soccer season was starting, and fall volleyball was scheduling.

And I was whirling.

But last night we put a pretty bow on the sports year with a big Athletic Banquet and said goodbye to sports season '10/'11.  ::sigh::

So, between making it through this year's school sports and having a bloggy anniversary, the time is naturally quite right for a giveaway.  And this time I'm making it a Favorite Blogs Giveaway with 3 items from 3 enjoyable blogs.

First up is Pioneer Woman.  Have you read her new book?  If not, here's your chance:

Pioneer Woman makes me smile and sometimes scratch my head and say, "Huh??"  But she's always real and delightfully imperfect

Secondly, I'm giving away 3 little adorable notebooks from Dottie Angel's quirky blog:

They're about 4" x 6" with ruled paper inside.  Just fun for popping in your purse or keeping lists on the kitchen counter or whatever it is you just must jot down.

And then for those of you who have never had the delight of hand-knitted dishcloths and must try them and for those of you who already love them and need more, I have 2 of the famous waffle-knit cloths from Deb at Homespun Living.

Just leave a comment and tell me what keeps drawing you back to blogging (whether reading or writing) and you'll be entered to win.

Here's to a few months with only minimal sports responsibilities and another new year of chatting away with you!